THE WEAKY MARCH. 



41 



tiger and spear-grass, with reeds, rushes, a variety of 

 ferns, before unseen, and other lush and lusty growths, 

 clothing a succession of rolling hills, monotonous swell- 

 ings, where the descent was ever a reflection of the 

 ascent. The paths were broken, slippery, and pitted 

 with deep holes ; along their sides, where the ground 

 lay exposed to view, a conglomerate of ferruginous red 

 clay — suggesting a resemblance to the superficies of 

 Londa, as described by Dr. Livingstone — took the place 

 of the granites and sandstones of the eastern countries, 

 and the sinking of the land towards the Lake became 

 palpable. In the jungle were extensive clumps of 

 bamboo and rattan ; the former small, the latter of poor 

 quality; the bauhinia, or black- wood, and the salsa- 

 parilla vine abounded ; wild grapes of diminutive size, 

 and of the austerest flavour, appeared for the first time 

 upon the sunny hill- sides which Bacchus ever loves, 

 and in the lower swamps plantains grew almost wild. 

 In parts the surface was broken into small deep hollows, 

 from which sprang pyramidal masses of the hugest 

 trees. Though no sign of man here met the eye, 

 scattered fields and plantations showed that villages 

 must be somewhere near. Sweet water was found in 

 narrow courses of black mud, which sorely tried the 

 sinews of laden man and beast. Long after noon, we 

 saw the caravan halted by fatigue upon a slope beyond 

 a weary swamp: a violent storm was brewing, and 

 whilst half the sky was purple black with nimbus, the 

 sun shone stingingly through the clear portion of the 

 empyrean. But these small troubles were lightly 

 borne ; already in the far distance appeared walls of 

 sky-blue cliff with gilded summits, which were as a 

 beacon to the distressed mariner. 



On the 13th February we resumed our travel through 



